Subterfuge
by Transformers 0
Summary: A short Christmas story that's a bit on the heavy and emotional side, with Tracer as the epicenter. I believe some of you know where this is going.


**Based off of Hawki's oneshot "Cheerleader".**

 **This could be considered a sequel to it.**

* * *

 **Subterfuge**

"OKAY! NOW THIS IS JUST TOO BLOODY RIDICULOUS!"

The remaining former agents who had rallied to Winston's reactivation call and taken refuge in the new Overwatch base at Gibraltar heard the unmistakable high-pitched shrieking of an enraged and youthful British lady. Who was also known as Lena Oxton, first and only pilot of the Slipstream, nicknamed Tracer by her peers (she honestly preferred being called by that moniker years ago), the public face of Overwatch, and now also the epicentre of many harassing rumours of sexuality and relationships.

"Child, do ya mind? It's 1:30 in the morning!" McCree grumbled as he stumbled groggily out of his quarters and into the base's lounge. There right now, the cowboy found the rest of the agents also out of their beds and sleepily staring and glaring at their second youngest member.

Despite being several years older than , Lena Oxton could be just as hyperactive and hammy as the Korean (if not even more so). Tonight, as she was spending the midnight hours scanning the holonet, she happened across some headline news which made her all scowl-y and sour. And it also made her want to alert her fellow teammates about her victimization due to public rumour harassment.

And so she alerted them. And alerted them loudly.

"WHOEVER MADE THESE RUDDY ASSUMPTIONS ARE JOLLY WELL WANKERS AND SHOULD BE PUBLICLY SHAMED FOR IT!"

"Lena!" came Ana's stern, motherly voice, "Calm down!"

"There is no need for that kind of outburst, little sis," Winston piped up. The gorilla was the time-racer's closest companion, and they were inseparable like siblings. The primate could always be counted on to wind Tracer down when she got into an emotional fit.

"What's the disastrous situation?" rumbled the group's old commander, Soldier 76 (aka Jack Morrison).

"Look, it's bad enough that I have been forced to be the 'mascot' of our reforming group, as that puts me at the heart of the public eye and I've had to endure months of speculation from idiots who think me and Widowmaker are a thing!"

"Aye, yea sweetie," hooted Torbjorn, a wondrous sight in his winter nightgown, "Those rumours were utter deercrap, but that fiasco is all over now and Winston has silenced those who continue to ship you and Widowmaker."

"AND NOW THOUSANDS OF TOSSERS ARE CALLING ME GAY NOW!" screamed Tracer, starting to cry tears of embarrassment and deep shame. Salty water drops flowed over flushed red cheeks.

"Dear God, that _is_ serious," huffed Reinhardt. The giant German tenderly put an arm around the British girl that he practically considered a niece.

"Doesn't people on the internet know about cultures where two women can kiss each other affectionately in a _platonic_ sense?" sniffled Tracer, "I mean, for Filipino women, it's perfectly normal for them to kiss as long as they're either relatives or close friends. They aren't considered homo or anything abysmal such as that…"

Fareeha and Mercy made their way over to the couch to hug Tracer.

"Hush, don't cry," whispered Mercy affectionately.

"Yeah, we are stroking you and hugging you right now, but it's only that of affection and care, as if we were the sisters that you never had," added Fareeha.

"Emily is my big cousin," Tracer told her surrogate family, "We always enjoyed each other's company at family reunions. Making and drinking tea, she'd dominate me there. I'm a horrible cook."

At this, the other Overwatch agents shared a jolly laugh. Last Christmas, Tracer tried to make the Turkey main course dish whilst resident cooks Winston and Ana were on last minute missions. It didn't go well.

Like, the kitchen-room-blew-up-and-everything-was-sooty-and-roasted type of didn't go well.

"Then during the summer, Emily would take me to the park, and the track, and the beach. More often she'd just watch me play and run and paddle and swim. Every time we played "Mercy" or had an arm-wrestling match, I'd outmatch her. She couldn't even win a 500 meter bike sprint against me. On flat ground."

More hearty laughter from Lena's surrogate family welcomed this news.

"And we'd spend all the summer nights reading books. Well, more like she'd read me the books and try to educate me at it because I couldn't be stuffed. Emily would buy me the best gifts out of my family at Christmas, and during the spring we would fly our kites down at her family's farm, and watch the ducks migrate back from their winter refuge on the other side of the world. We even took pleasure in feeding them and keeping a few as family pets. By the way, ducks and kites were the two things that kickstarted my ambition to be a pilot."

The other agents listened intently to this. Until now, they had never heard Lena open up about the family members that she held closely and dearly in her heart.

Tracer continued her recollections, though the next memory she recalled in a more softer and subdued tone.

"And when I had recovered from the Slipstream incident that almost left me imprisoned outside of time, the first relative that came to me and hugged me – comforted and consoled me, and just helped me to make peace with the lasting consequences of that terrible day – was Emily. I was just 16. SIXTEEN, when I was almost ripped away from my life. All I wanted was to forget the horrors, and to forget the agony. Big cousin Emily did the job for me. As if I were a fledging duckling, she helped me fly, so that I could finally escape the oppressive winter that almost destroyed my soul. Only my family – my real, blood family – could ever know how close me and Emily really are."

Tracer paused to catch her breath – a rare sight to see – before she continued. A smile had found its way back onto the young lady's face.

"Me and Emily, we are NOT gay. Not homosexual. And not lesbian. We are just cousins who love each other and appreciate one another deeply. She was the sibling I never had, and I was the little sister that her mother lost in the womb. We completed each other, and made each other whole."

"Just like a family should," interjected Jack, his eyes glowing with warmth, and his cheekbones cast in a fatherly smile.

"Group hug!" squeaked Mei as she seemingly popped up out of nowhere from behind the couches.

Everyone present happily agreed. With several hurrahs, some happy tears, and a few even delicately humming some carols, the family of the new Overwatch shared a happy and joyful hug under their Christmas tree.

"Tracer?" piped up Genji from within the mass of bodies.

"Yeah luv?" came the muffled reply.

"We'll make sure that Winston shuts those tossers up."

"Thank you all," sighed Tracer dreamily, "This is quite possibly the best Christmas I've ever had."

"It's no problem, love," replied Mercy, "Because…"

"The Cavalry's all here!" cried the group in the happy Christmas cheer that only a true family could ever have.

And they _were_ one big happy family.

A family that not only saved the world together, but also dedicated their lives to making sure that each of their own was all happy at heart.

Especially at a time like Christmas.

They would all be there for each other.

And this season of Christmas would only cement that drive of unity even more.

* * *

We are hope.

We are honour.

We are courage.

We are justice.

We are compassion.

We are determination.

We are harmony.

We are Overwatch.

* * *

 **There. Now that's done.**

 **This is my view on the recent "Reveal" about Tracer.**

 **I have to give props to Blizzard for leaving the** _ **Reflections**_ **comic open to interpretation regarding Tracer's sexuality.**

 **For all we know, Emily could be an actual girlfriend.**

 **OR she could just be a close friend of Tracer's.**

 **OR she could actually be, I don't know… A RELATIVE, PERHAPS?**

 **I'm a Filipino, and in our culture it's perfectly normal for women to kiss each other as long as they are close friends or relatives. My Mom and her relatives and friends are the perfect epitome of this.**

 **Does this mean they are lesbian? HELL BLOODY NO!**

 **Hell, I'm a boy and I kiss my baby brother on the lips as a sign of love and affection from time to time.**

 **Does this mean me and my brother are homosexual? HELL BLOODY NO.**

 **I'm just gonna be honest now.**

 **This fanfic is my interpretation on this aspect of Tracer (my favourite video game character ever, to be honest), and it reflects my views and standpoints.**

 **I'm Catholic.**

 **I'm not gay, as that is frowned upon by my religion.**

 **We believe that the reason God made male and female genders was solely for the purposes of finding one's soulmate, which would then be followed by reproduction and the process of raising a family by blood.**

 **That's the sole reason for love, as we Catholics believe. We do not view it as an excuse to get attached to anyone of the same gender. There is already a relationship shared between members of the same gender and that is called FRIENDSHIP.**

 **And no, I do not believe one bit that Tracer is gay.**

 **This fanfic is meant to reflect that stance of mine (as well as provide some Christmas cheer to those who hold the same sentiments as I do).**

 **As I said before, Blizzard left it up to interpretation in the comic, and I** _ **will**_ **give them props to that. That way, both sides both win and lose in that regard.**

 **I know I am at chance of getting flak for everything I have just written in this fic, but bring it on.**

 **I am a man of strong faith, belief and religion. And I will not back down on what I know in my heart is right, no matter what mortal cost I may suffer in the process.**

 **But enough of the heavy stuff for now.**

 **This is** _ **also**_ **a Christmas fic.**

 **And to those of you who share the same sentiments as I do, I hope you've enjoyed this little story of mine, and have a very Merry Christmas.**

 **Transformers 0 over the moon, and goodnight!**


End file.
